Oh, I love a good Italian style pasta salad. Fresh tomatoes, asparagus, olives, red onion, marinated artichoke hearts and parmesan cheese…all tossed together with pasta and a flavorful dressing. You could even add some shredded chicken and turn this lovely salad into a meal! Then please invite me over, won’t you? I could eat this salad everyday and die a happy woman. I truly could.
Hope you love it!
Let me show you just how easy it is to put together…
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Time: 20 min. prep + 1 hour refrigeration
Yield: 12 servings
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!
SALAD:
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 (16-17 ounce) package corkscrew noodles
2 C grape tomatoes
1/2 C red onion, sliced
2 C marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
3/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
DRESSING:
1 (.6 ounce) package Good Seasons Italian Dressing
1/4 C white vinegar
3 T water
1/2 C vegetable or olive oil
1/4 t sugar
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1. Grab 1 pound of fresh asparagus and rinse it with cool water. Chop the stubby ends off, they are pretty dry and tasteless. Toss them in the trash.
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Then chop your asparagus into 1 inch pieces.
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2. Boil some water in a nice large pot. Add your pasta
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and cook according to the package instructions. When your pasta is almost done, toss the asparagus into the pot and allow it to cook there for about 2-3 minutes, or until fork tender.
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3. Drain the pasta and asparagus into a colander you have handily placed in your sink. Run lots of cold water through the pasta. You want to sure to bring the temperature down.
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4. Throw the pasta and asparagus into a pretty bowl. Slice your tomatoes in half and add them to the pasta.
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Throw in 1/2 cup sliced red onion,
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a can of drained olives,
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2 cups chopped artichoke hearts
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and 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Give everything a nice stir to combine.
5. Into a large jar (or small blender) place 1 (.6 ounce) package Good Seasons Italian Dressing, 1/4 C white vinegar, 3 T water, 1/2 C vegetable or canola oil and 1/4 t sugar. Seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake the ingredients vigorously to combine.
6. Pour about 1/2 cup of the dressing over the top of the salad and give everything a nice stir. Cover the salad and refrigerate for an hour so the flavors have a little bit of time to hang out together.
7. When you are ready to serve toss the rest of the dressing with the salad.
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Serve and enjoy!
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